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India beat Kuwait 3-0 in their last Group C match,their second consecutive win,in the AFC Under-19 Championships qualifiers at Arbil,Iraq.

India end with a win

India beat Kuwait 3-0 in their last Group C match,their second consecutive win,in the AFC Under-19 Championships qualifiers at Arbil,Iraq. Malsawmfela scored twice (45th,60th) while skipper Jeje Lalpeklua (sixth minute) netted once for India,who led 2-0 at half-time in an inconsequential match at the Francouse Al Hareeri Stadium last night The win saw India finish at fourth with six points in their group,though they are already out of contention for the AFC Under-19 Championships final round next year.

Sethi survives scare

Veteran cueist Geet Sethi survived a scare against Maltas Simon Zammit,while Pankaj Advani had a field day against Moosa Saleem of Mauritius on the second day of the world snooker championship in Hyderabad. Sethi brought in all his experience on the table to edge past Zammit 3-2 in the decider.

Deepak in final qualifying round

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Deepak Kumar entered the second and final qualifying round of the PSA Indian Challenger Series Five event,defeating compatriot Kush Kumar in the decider at the Indian Squash Academy in Chennai. Deepak outwitted Kush 11-9 11-13 9-11 11-6 in 50 minutes. In another close match,Balamurugan and Partiban fought tooth and nail to move into the final qualifying round but Balamurugan won 11-4 4-11 11-3 5-11 11-5.

Van Persie out for six weeks

Dutch striker Robin van Persie will be out for six weeks after damaging right ankle ligaments. Van Persie was carried off on a stretcher early in the Netherlands friendly against Italy on Saturday after landing badly following a tackle by Giorgio Chiellini and there were initial fears that he could be out for several months. However,Arsenal said the Dutch FAs assessment that the ligaments were only partially ruptured was correct. Van Persie will travel back to London this week and continue treatment, a statement on Arsenals website said.

Abidal injured

Barcelona defender Eric Abidal will be out for around three weeks after damaging his left thigh muscle in Frances 1-0 World Cup play-off first-leg win over Ireland on Saturday,the La Liga champions said. A scan had confirmed the diagnosis of the French Football Federations (FFF) doctors, Barca said on their website on Monday,and the left-back will miss Wednesdays return leg against Ireland in Paris. Barcas medical staff will try to get him fit for the La Liga showdown against Real Madrid on November 29.

10-year prison term for offenders

Athletes in Austria caught doping could be charged with serious fraud and face prison terms of up to 10 years,according to an amendment to the national fraud act which is expected to take effect on January 1,2010. Under Austrias current anti-doping laws,possessing and selling banned substances are already a criminal offence,but not so the actual use of the drugs.